Tuesday Briefing: Water Spout in South Flagler, New Lights at FPC Stadium, 615 Homes Off Colbert

A water spout was spotted by several weather spotters ‘ at 12:46 p.m. Monday at the south county line. The waterspout moved toward Ormond Beach where it was reported to have dissipated,’ Bob Pickering, Flagler County Emergency’s weather specialist, reported. The photograph was taken by Eddie Cail and distributed by Pickering.

All Flagler County schools are offering free meals to all students today and the rest of the week, by order of the United States Department of Agriculture, and as a consequence of Hurricane Irma.

The Palm Coast City Council meets at 9 a.m. at City Hall in Town Center. The council is expected to discuss City Manager Jim Landon’s contract and set up a timeline for an executive search firm request for proposal.

In Court: Erin Vickers, 23, the Palm Coast woman facing 49 charges related to sex crimes against children, goes on trial, with jury selection completed Monday. The trial is expected to take two days. Vickers is going on trial on the first of the 49 charges—the alleged tape of her own daughter, who was 1 year old when the alleged assault took place on Feb. 26, 2015. Vickers since that winter has been held without bond at the Flagler County jail. Her case is intricately tied to that of Paul Dykes, 20, who also faces eight charges of raping a child about the same age as Vickers’s—he has a child of his own, but his parental rights were terminated by court order in March 2016—among the 41 charges that have been filed against him. He is not expected to go on trial until later this year or early next year. The trial takes place before Circuit Judge Dennis Craig.

The Flagler County School Board holds an informational workshop at 1 p.m. in Training Room 3 on the third floor of the Government Services Building, Bunnell, then a 6 p.m. meeting in board chambers downstairs. Board members will get a Hurricane Irma update as well as an update on a facilities grant to upgrade the Flagler Auditorium. At the 6 p.m. meeting, the administration will request approval for $650,000 stadium repairs at Flagler Palm Coast High to replace lights and do some painting, and $750,000 air conditioning replacements or upgrades at Indian Trails Middle and Bunnell Elementary.

The Palm Coast Planning & Land Development Regulation Board meets at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall in Town Center. The board will consider approving a future land use map amendment to turn 109 acres of formerly county land into Palm Coast residential-medium density zoning, accommodating up to 615 homes. The land is 1,400 feet north of Roberts Road, east of Colbert Lane. See the city’s staff report here. The board will also consider recommending new zoning for pharmacies and medical pot dispensaries, limiting the potential dispensaries to three zones. See the map here. Once the planning board deals with the matter, the council will take it up, though the council is not bound by the planning board’s vote.

The Bunnell Planning Board meets at 7 p.m. at City Hall at 201 West Moody Boulevard.

The St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board will meet and then hold a hearing on a tentative 2017-2018 budget. Meeting at 4:30 p.m., budget hearing at 5:05 p.m., district headquarters, 4049 Reid St., Palatka, or Maitland Service Center, 601 South Destiny Dr., Maitland.

AARP Driver Safety Program, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Frieda Zamba Pool Classroom, 339 Parkview Drive, Palm Coast. The nation’s first and largest classroom course for motorists ages 50 and older. This one-day course identifies ways that older drivers can compensate for the physical changes that occur as they age and helps older drivers update their driving knowledge and skills. Fees are $20/session ($15/session for AARP members). To register, contact AARP representative Karen Zimmerman at 386-585-4116.

Public defender discusses death penalty: Andy Thomas, the public defender in the 2nd Judicial Circuit, is scheduled to discuss the death penalty during a meeting of Tallahassee Citizens Against the Death Penalty. The 2nd Judicial Circuit includes Leon, Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty and Wakulla counties. (7 p.m., Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More, O’Brien Hall, 900 West Tennessee St., Tallahassee.)

♦ May 23: The Flagler Chamber's Common Ground Breakfast features a 2019 Legislative Update with Sen. Travis Hutson and Rep. Paul Renner at the Hilton Garden Inn, 55 Town Center Dr., Palm Coast, Checkin begins at 7:30, breakfast starts promptly at 8.
♦ May 23: Flagler Lifeline, a volunteer committee and Flagler Cares affiliate established to broaden conversation and awareness of suicide, will host a public town hall event at 6 p.m. at the Flagler County Association of Realtors building, 4101 East Moody Blvd. in Bunnell. The Town Hall will feature presentations by mental health experts, suicide survivors and others who have been touched by suicide, and will be facilitated by Colleen Conklin, the long-time school board member and one of Flagler Lifeline’s founders. For the past several years Conklin has hosted periodic events, including electronic town halls, to bring awareness to bullying and suicide prevention. The May 23 town hall, like Flagler Lifeline's emergence, is partly a result of Flagler County's place in 2017 as the county with the leading suicide rate in the state, proportional to its population. See the background story here.
♦ May 23: The Flagler Beach City Commission meets at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 105 South Second Street. Commissioners will consider making the city a member of the American Flood Coalition.
♦ May 23: The Palm Coast Beautification and Environmental Advisory Committee meets at 5 p.m. at City Hall in Town Center. An agenda had not been posted online as of May 18.
♦ May 23: The Wadsworth Elementary School Advisory Council and PTO meet at 6 p.m. in the school’s media center.
♦ May 23: Palm Coast Artist and 2011 Flagler County Artist of the Year Weldon Ryan hosts a meet and great at the Bronze Kingdom African Art Gallery, 3201 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, from 6 to 9 p.m. Wine and cheese, 15 percent off on all of Weldon's works.
♦ May 23-26: "Southern Fried Funeral," a play at the Daytona Playhouse, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., Adults $20, Seniors 55 and up, $18, Youths 18 and under $8. Address: 100 Jessamine Blvd., Daytona Beach, or see directions here. Buy tickets online here. Box office: 386-255-2431.
♦ May 24: Flagler County Emergency Management chief Jonathan Lord hosts a media roundtable at noon on the upcoming hurricane season, at the Emergency Operations Center, 1769 E. Moody Blvd, Bldg. 3 (behind the Government Services Building), Bunnell.
♦ May 24: Butterfly Walk at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, 6400 North Oceanshore Blvd., 10 a.m. Join a ranger at 2 p.m. for a walk through our historical gardens. Learn about the history of our park while exploring the beauty of the formal gardens, with an emphasis on butterflies. The walk is approximately 1 hour. Please bring water and wear comfortable walking shoes. Meet in the garden parking lot. Garden walk included with park entry. No registration required.
♦ May 25: Pool Safety Day at Palm Coast's Freeda Zamba pool, 339 Parkview Drive, open to all ages, from 1 to 4 p.m. The event is designed to teach the importance and seriousness of safety, but while having fun and participating in activities that children will remember. Florida is one of two states that lead the nation with at least 21 fatal child drownings last summer, according to a report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and USA Swimming Foundation. About ten people die every day from unintentional drowning and of these, two will be children age 14 or younger, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The fee is $1 for seniors and youth age 17 and under. It is $2 for adults.
♦ May 27: Memorial Day, 8 a.m. start time at Heroes Memorial Park, 2860 Palm Coast Pkwy. The City of Palm Coast welcomes the community to share a meaningful Memorial Day tribute to those who have lost their lives while serving their country. U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, who represents District 6, will speak. Rain Location: Fire Station 21 at 9 Corporate Drive Free and no registration required. More info: 386-986-2300.
♦ May 28: The Flagler County Opioid Task Force meets at 6 p.m. in the first-floor conference room at the Government Services Building
♦ May 29: The Blue Power 2020 forum, hosted by Mike Cocchiola, who heads the Flagler County Democratic Party, meets at 12:30 p.m. at the Democrats' office, 2 Office Park Drive, Suite D, all welcome. The weekly forum is intended to discuss local, state and national issues and to develop action plans to influence policy.
♦ May 30: Flagler Palm Coast High School and Matanzas High School hold graduation ceremonies at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center. Matanzas High School’s ceremony begins at 4 p.m. and Flagler Palm Coast High School’s starts at 7. Doors to the Ocean Center open one hour before the start of each ceremony. The student procession begins approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. Tickets for the ceremonies are free. However, both schools have a 10-ticket limit per student. There may be opportunities for additional tickets. Students will be notified and information is located on each school’s website. Parking passes are also available for pre-purchase. Parking is $5. security measures instituted last year will be in place this year. Please take note and be prepared before you head to the Ocean Center. There will be security checks before ticket holders are allowed entry into the ceremony. Watch livestreams of the ceremonies: Matanzas here, and FPC here.
♦ May 31-June 1, 2 and 8: American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification Class – May 31-June 2 and June 8, Friday 5-6:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sunday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at Palm Coast Aquatics Center, 339 Parkview Drive. The American Red Cross Lifeguarding course provides entry-level knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize and respond to aquatic emergencies and to provide care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries, and sudden illnesses until emergency medical services (EMS) personnel take over. For ages 15 and up. Cost is $200 (includes CPR mask and certification fee). Registration required at www.parksandrec.fun/aquatics. More info: 386-986-4741.
♦ June 1: The Palm Coast Arts Foundation hosts its First Saturday Creative Bazaar, an arts and crafts flea market. at 1500 Central Avenue in Town center. Arts foundation members and other vendors will have booths of goods for sale. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
♦ June 1: 2nd Annual Neighbors Helping Neighbors Golf Benefit for Homeless Animals: Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a local group of business professionals coming together to raise money for the Halifax Humane Society. Join us for 18-holes of premiere golf at the legendary LPGA International Golf Club. Shot gun start at 8 a.m. Registration at 7. 1000 Champions Drive Daytona Beach. To download entry form, visit https://www.halifaxhumanesociety.org/events/index and then scroll down to the golf outing listing. Hole Sponsorship $100. Single Player $125. Lunch Provided. For more information contact Gus Schutt (386) 233-5302.
♦ June 4: Daytona Tortugas Youth Baseball Clinic, 8:30 a.m-12 p.m. at Indian Trails Sports Complex, 5455 Belle Terre Pkwy., Palm Coast. The Daytona Tortugas will be teaching kids, ages 7-13, skills to improve their ball game in this coed baseball clinic. Grab your glove and bat and learn from the pros! Participants will receive a free ticket to a Daytona Tortugas game. $37/person. Registration required at www.parksandrec.fun/camps. More info: 386-986-2323.
♦ June 4: The Hammock Community Association meets at 7:30 p.m. at the Hammock Community Center on MalaCompra Road, with County Attorney Al Hadeed as speaker, who will present a History of the Hammock Part II.
♦ June 5: The Blue Power 2020 Action Forum, 12:30 p.m. at the Democrats' office, 2 Office Park Drive, Suite D. Come and join other progressive Democrats to discuss local, state and national issues, and propose actions to influence elected leaders. The Forum is open and informal and all opinions and ideas are welcomed. This is your opportunity to meet and lend your voice and knowledge to people who share your values. For more information, contact Mike Cocchiola, palmcoastdemocraticclub@gmail.com. The Blue Power forum meets every Wednesday.For events beyond this date, see the fuller Coming Days here.

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Updates of ongoing permitting, construction and development projects in Palm Coast usually run here, along with a link to the city’s Week in Review. But the Week in Review, under the guise of being modernized, has become flashier and power-point like while becoming less substantive and dumbed down. We may or may not link to it in future.

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